Recreational watercraft are designed to accommodate up to a certain number of passengers. For example, straddle-type personal watercraft (PWC) usually accommodate a driver and either one or two passengers seated behind the driver. As a consequence, a two-passenger vessel will generally require a longer body than a one-passenger vessel in order to fit a longer seat.
Given that most PWC hulls are molded as a single piece, a particular PWC model offered in both one-passenger and two-passenger versions will typically require two different hulls and two different decks. As such, the tooling and manufacturing costs are high.
Also, a user wanting to have both a one-passenger vessel and a two-passenger vessel has to own the two different watercraft. Similarly, a passenger wanting to upgrade from a one-passenger vessel to a two-passenger vessel would have to purchase a second vessel to replace the first. At least some of these issues could also be relevant for vessels accommodating more than two passengers.
Therefore, there is a need for a watercraft that would allow greater manufacturing flexibility.